All falls by older adults can cause injury, including fractures, head trauma, and lower a person’s quality of life. Most are preventable with safe staffing and an adequate plan of care. According to the CDC, medical costs related to fall injuries are nearly $50 billion every year. One reason is medication. A new study from
ABC News had an interesting article about the decline in the use of alarms as a means of fall prevention. The change is part of a nationwide movement to phase out personal alarms and other long-used fall prevention measures in favor of more proactive, preventative care. Without alarms, facilities need staff to better learn residents’
The Washington Post had a recent article about how falls in the elderly lead to death caused by brain injuries. This is why it is so critical for nursing homes to have sufficient staff to supervise resdients, prevent falls, and have a fall prevention program. Below are excerpts of the article. The elderly fear breaking
Journal of Clinical Nursing has an article about a recent study linking the use of sleeping pills containing benzodiazepines to increase falls in nursing homes. Older patients taking benzodiazepines were 2.9 times more likely to fall Obviously, patients who fall suffer severe injuries. Some older patients have impaired cognitive function or limited functional ability and physical
Here is another article about a nursing home’s failure to prevent a resident from falling and then failing to intervene or inform the family. The family was never told that their 60-year-old mother had broken both legs in a fall and died of complications. Eventually, the family discovered the horrific details. Their mother, Linda Ober, had
I read an article today about the death of a resident caused by the improper transfer by the nursing home staff. Falls are always so dificult for the elderly to survive. the injuries cause by falls can lead to immobility, pain, and demntia. Preventing falls should be a high priority but often isn’t. Training and
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